The Montrose Ride

[zzzwillzzz]

aj did the short ride w/me. he's pretty much at the front the whole way and the first 3 or 4 in the sprint, he's riding really strong, he will be a real force next season.

i get 72 on the short ride, 85+ on the long ride, I need to start doing the long ride once in a while

[mkadam68]

Originally Posted by zzzwillzzz

aj did the short ride w/me. he's pretty much at the front the whole way and the first 3 or 4 in the sprint

He actually got the win yesterday. Followed Frank Schroeder's wheel. Those BBI guys have really taken a liking to him and are passing along their experience. Yesterday, Frank told him, "Don't ever look back in a sprint!"

Originally Posted by zzzwillzzz

he's riding really strong, he will be a real force next season.

His request for upgrade to 3's was turned down. Not enough points & not enough races with the right pack size. In the long run, I'm sure this'll be good for his development, but he was a little disappointed. This year we spent trying to drill into him that his efforts are what counted & not to worry about results. Last 2-months, the results started falling his way. Hopefully, his good form form will carry over. We'll try the off-season crits, too, CBR & Ontario, (if I can finagle the finances). Next couple weeks, he'll be starting to ride w/Bert on his long Sunday rides.

Originally Posted by zzzwillzzz

i get 72 on the short ride, 85+ on the long ride, I need to start doing the long ride once in a while

I'll be trying to ramp up to riding to/from the long ride. Maybe we should "bike-pool"? I end up right about at 99-100. Getting ready for Tucson in November.

[zzzwillzzz]

have aj drive to descanso or the bowl and you ride in. you'll get the extra miles at the beginning but not the long slog home, unless you want the hundred

[mkadam68]

I'm thinking the group is taking it a bit easier this time of year. Thank goodness for that

Went long route (again). Tried to save myself a little energy before the split, but I couldn't help myself: I just seemed to find myself near the front, even setting pace a couple times. I did stay away from the HS sprint, though

Gladstone was easy in spots and ramped up only a little bit in others. As we approached the Kitchen, though, I was too far back for my liking. Somehow, I got over it, blowing up just near the crest. The group caught the next light, so I struggled back on, then went to the front to prepare for the Alley.

That was hard. The group lined out single file and I rode alongside, slowly drifting backward. OTB near the top once again and had to dig deep to chase back on for this one. One other rider (on a fixie) was with me briefly but fell back even further. (He would later rejoin as we hit another light or two.) Somehow, I caught back on and again went to the front to be ready for the next climb: the Wall.

At the bottom, we hit the red light. I was thinking this would be it for me, but only 5-6 guys hammered up. The rest of us just stayed tempo. I slowly drifted backward again, but didn't really pop off this time and even had to slow as we congested into the 1st round-about. After that, it was somewhat easy. We got into a fast-ish pace approaching Encanto Park.

Now, some doofus in a car pulled alongside us as we went past Encanto, never really slowing, even though we were maintaining 25+ mph. He basically joined our pack, just to the left of me and was steadily passing the group as we approached our left turn onto Royal Oaks. The warnings rang out, "Car back!". The front guys entered the turn and the car was still right there, now behind them and he went straight. Fortunately, us on the bikes were better drivers than he was and nobody hit him or went down. Found out later at Sierra Madre, another idiot did exactly the same thing at the same spot to the short route guys! I checked: not the same vehicle.

Again, I moved forward in the pack and managed to get up & over Bradbury Hill with absolutely no jump in my legs. From there, we started to see riders who had started the long route but taken shortcuts off Gladstone.

Coming down Foothill, I moved to the front again and managed to gap the field who seemed content to tempo to the finish. A couple guys came with and we joined some of the shortcut dudes, creating a good size group. A light gave us more advantage and suddenly we had a good gap. I didn't know who was "with" us and we never really got organized. I was also spent, and didn't even try to stay in the "break". Instead, I somehow found some strength and slowly rolled up to the finish.

Compared to last week: climbed about the same, but got to the finish in slightly better shape & not as worn out. Although I drifted backwards, I didn't get dropped on the Wall or Bradbury (did last week).

Now I'm debating whether to do Simi or continue to try & make progress at Montrose (probably).

Ride With GPS
Strava

[mkadam68]

Showed up for Montrose again. Been awhile as I've been doing Simi Ride these past 2-3 months. Riding during December has been inconsistent: rain days, work days, and this past week, broken bike days. Just at that part of the year when I'm supposed to be getting in 300+ mile weeks, and I'm barely breaking 100. Not gonna be good come January.

So, given my inconsistent riding and resulting unknown form, and on a borrowed bike, I drove out to Descanso and did the short route, thinking my endurance would be shot.

Turned out to not be a problem: group's pace was pretty easy. Oh, a few surges here and there, but nothing I ever felt worried about. Managed 10-12th ish at HS sprint. Even up Bradbury, I was in the lead 10 and was 7-secs off my PR on the climb. Down the other side, right turn past the gated community: I was the one setting pace and lining out the pack as we all recovered from our effort.

Down Foothill, I moved to the front, and when it turned up again (just before the turn on 2nd) I moved off the front with a couple guys. We got stopped by a stopped car at the light on 2nd, so our break died. After that, it was pretty much free wheeling to the finish and I sat up as we approached the 1st stop sign on Sierra Madre.

Showed good form. Now, to just get consistent riding in before I do lose whatever I have.

[mkadam68]

Well, that was crazy.

Forecast called for rain starting around 10am or so. So, I and others, showed up at the start just in time to hear thunder rolling in the distance. Nice. By 8:20, just as we were exiting the Rose Bowl, a fine mist settled over the area. We slowed our pace on Arroyo due to its off-camber turns and looks-like-it-must-be-slippery surface.

Just after Trader Joe's, with the mist continuing, several riders pulled off and went home. Still, many more stayed in for an overall peloton of about 70 or so.

As we continued on, the mist kind of hung there. Clothing was damp, but road was somewhat dry-ish. At least, there was little/no road spray. We nabbed a green light at the HS sprint. I stayed near the front, most Big Guns were absent, so I nabbed 5th, pathetically watching a BBI rider pull away and give a clinic on sprinting.

We made our way to Arrow Highway, still 60-70 riders strong, where the rain started coming thicker. Now we were getting road spray and starting to get really wet. I had taken my sunglasses off a long time ago, and was now trying to follow wheels with my head to one side so I could see. Several times, it wasn't working and I felt a little blind. Thank God there were no sudden slowings.

Throughout it all, I kept feeling like we were pushing the pace. Strava indicated we weren't, so it could have been the wet roads and thick, cold air slowing us down. Plus, I'm a bit out of shape.

By the time we got to Encanto Park, our field had dwindled to about 30. I was starting to feel tired, not able to respond to the surge up the little rise. My legs were stiff from the cold & wet and I seemed to be breathing too much, too. With the roads thickly coated in rain, I also had zero braking with my carbon rims (I wasn't planning on getting wet so brought them as they're my best wheels), taking ~150 yards to slow to a stop.

Going up Bradbury, I started too far back in the field and we took it gingerly through the turn due to some pavement paint and a quick-flowing stream at the bottom. I was definitely cooking at this point, and just barely hung on to the tail-end of the field as we went down the other side.

Descending Foothill was interesting without brakes, but thankfully, no problems. Finally, as we ascended up to Sierra Madre Blvd, I quickly popped off, shifted to my small ring, and slowly made it to the finish.

My shoes and gloves were soaking, I couldn't feel my legs due to the wet cold, and they wouldn't respond to any efforts on my part to "get going". I went past the village square and straight to my car (anticipating the possibility of rain, I had parked at Sierra Madre). I wrung a gallon of water out of my gloves, switched into clean/dry (not for long) socks, and put on my tennis shoes. Put away the bike, hopped in the car, and cranked the heat.

Took me 3 hours to get warm again, laying in bed with 2 blankets, fully dressed. Quite the adventure I hope to not do again any time soon.

Y'all should come out & give the Montrose Ride a try!

[TJKnight]

Will Z and I did the short ride today. It was a relatively small group. I didn't notice anyone riding squirrelly or screaming at others, but a driver did try to pass us on Longden and nearly had a head on with another car. I guess 25 was too slow for him?

I got dropped at Encanto, and rode back to Descanso with Will. I should try the long route.

[mkadam68]

You thought it was a small group today? I thought it was larger than it had been the past couple weeks. Well, the short ride was small-ish, but usually is.

Sorry I didn't see you. I was the large fellow in black/white castelli long sleeve jersey. I saw Will at the finish. Have you & I met before TJ?

[TJKnight]

Mark-- We met on Cool Breeze a few years ago at the lunch rest stop. We chatted about chamois cream-- you had tried a few types, and I forget which one you said was the best--dz nuts?

I didn't see you or I woulda said hi.

I thought it was a smaller group on Sat. than the other three or four times I've done Montrose. I seem to always get dropped at Encanto. I really like getting my HR up to max so many times. I really hate blowing red lights and crazy driver responses to the peloton. These are things everyone else seems so used to it doesn't phase them.

Do you ever do the long route? I want to try it.

[mkadam68]

Sorry to take so long responding.

Yeah -- done the long route a half-dozen times. Only about 12+ miles longer than the short, but it has 3 more hills. First & last are like Bradbury on the short route, just slightly longer (.3-.4 mile instead of .2). Middle one is a 3/4-mile long exaggerated false-flat. None are terribly hard: it's the pace they go up them that hurts. (The long route also hits Bradbury for a total of four climbs.)

Make sure you can finish the short route strongly, with or near the front group, or the long ride will destroy you. The first climb, "The Kitchen", comes at the end of Gladstone, a 4+ mile false-flat that, again, can really hurt you on the pace (easy is 22-23mph, hard is 25+mph). Then you have to go up the hill. Tough.

Short Route, 39-miles, 1,400 ft

Long Route, 51-miles, 2,100 ft